The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (84 page)

1:59 to circumcise:
Jewish parents customarily name their male children on the day of their circumcision, the
eighth day
after birth (2:21). These were events of great importance, signaling the beginning of the child's covenant membership in Israel (Gen 17:9-14; Lev 12:3). 
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1:64 his tongue loosed:
Following nine months of silence, Zechariah experiences a dramatic recovery (1:20). He no longer doubts but accepts with joy the arrival of the child (1:6879). 
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Mary, Ark of the Covenant

Luke's Gospel tells us more about the Mother of Jesus than any other book in the New Testament. Most of this information is packed within his first two chapters, where Luke strings together some of the most beautiful traditions we have about her life and mission. The deeper we delve into Luke's narrative, the more we appreciate the way in which Luke tells us the story of Mary. One example of this is found in the story of the Visitation. On one level, it tells of a joyous encounter between two expectant mothers; on another, it recalls memorable stories told in the Old Testament about the Ark of the Covenant. By alluding to these ancient traditions, Luke expands the vision of the careful reader considerably. For he leads us to see Mary as the Ark of God's New Covenant and implies that the sacred Ark of the Old Covenant merely prefigured a more wonderful Ark to come: the Mother of the divine Messiah.

One tradition that Luke draws upon is from 2 Samuel. He intentionally sets up the subtle but significant parallels between Mary's Visitation with Elizabeth and David's effort to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem narrated in 2 Sam 6. When Luke tells us that Mary "arose and went" into the Judean hill country to visit her kinswoman (Lk 1:39), he reminds us of how David "arose and went" into the same region centuries earlier to retrieve the Ark (2 Sam 6:2). Upon Mary's arrival, Elizabeth is struck by the same sense of awe and unworthiness before Mary (Lk 1:43) that David felt standing before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6:9). Parallels continue as the joy surrounding this great encounter causes the infant John to leap with excitement (Lk 1:41), much as David danced with excitement before the Ark (2 Sam 6:16). Finally, Luke adds that Mary stayed in the "house of Zechariah" for "three months" (Lk 1:40, 56), recalling how the Ark of Covenant was temporarily stationed in the "house of Obed-edom" for a waiting period of "three months" (2 Sam 6:11). Taken together, these parallels show us that Mary now assumes a role in salvation history that was once played by the Ark of the Covenant. Like this golden chest, she is a sacred vessel where the Lord's presence dwells intimately with his people.

Luke also draws upon a second tradition from the Books of Chronicles. This time he brings into his story a highly significant expression once connected with the Ark. The term shows up in Lk 1:42, where Elizabeth bursts out with an exuberant cry at the arrival of Mary and her Child. Although the Greek verb translated as "exclaimed" seems ordinary enough, it is hardly ever used in the Bible. In fact, it is found only here in the entire New Testament. Its presence in the Greek Old Testament is likewise sparse, appearing only five times. Why is this important? Because every time the expression is used in the Old Testament, it forms part of the stories surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. In particular, it refers to the melodic sounds made by Levitical singers and musicians when they glorify the Lord in song. It thus describes the "exulting" voice of instruments that were played before the Ark as David carried it in procession to Jerusalem (1 Chron 15:28; 16:4-5) and as Solomon transferred the Ark to its final resting place in the Temple (2 Chron 5:13). Alluding to these episodes, Luke connects this same expression with the melodic cry of another Levitical descendant, the aged Elizabeth (Lk 1:5). She too lifts up her voice in liturgical praise, not before the golden chest, but before Mary. Luke's remarkable familiarity with these ancient stories enables him to select even a single word that will whisper to his readers that this young Mother of the Messiah is the new Ark of the Covenant.

For the reader with eyes to see and ears to hear, Luke has given us a vision of the Virgin Mary that becomes ever more glorious the deeper we dig into the Scriptures. Our ability to see Mary as he did depends in part on our knowledge of the Old Testament and in part on our sensitivity to Luke's skillful use of it. By choosing his words and phrases carefully, he is able to weave various strands of biblical tradition into his narrative, adding beauty and depth to his already elegant prose. Little wonder the Church's liturgical and theological traditions have so often described Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant. This vision is not merely the fruit of mystical speculation from a later age. It is already embedded within the Infancy Narrative of Luke's Gospel. «
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1:68-79
The
Benedictus
(Latin for "blessed") praises God for his faithfulness to Israel and his careful orchestration of salvation history. At the climax of this plan is Jesus, whose coming fulfills God's covenant oaths
(1)
to establish David's throne forever (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:1-4, 26-37), and
(2)
to bless all nations through Abraham's descendants (Gen 22:1618) (CCC 422, 706). 
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1:69 a horn:
A symbol of strength (Ps 18:2; Sir 47:11; Mic 4:13). Zechariah applies it to Jesus as the Lord's Anointed One (Ps 132:17; cf. Ezek 29:21).
See note on Lk 1:32-33
. 
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1:72 remember his holy covenant:
God's covenant oath to Abraham (Gen 22:16-18) nears its fulfillment in the preparatory role played by John's parents. Even their names symbolize that God
remembers
(Zechariah) his
oath
(Elizabeth) and will soon fulfill it through the mission of John and Jesus.
See note on Lk 1:5
. 
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1:76 prophet of the Most High:
John's vocation is closely linked to Jesus, yet their titles distinguish between them: John is the
prophet
of the Most High, whereas Jesus is the
Son
of the Most High (1:32). 
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1:78 the day:
Also translated "the dayspring", or simply "the rising" (textual note
f
). • In light of the OT, Zechariah's words can be viewed from different angles.
(1)
The "rising" is used idiomatically to describe the rising sun at dawn or the stars at night. Several texts draw upon this notion to depict the Messiah as a light or star (Num 24:17; Is 9:2; Mal 4:2).
(2)
The "rising" also connects with Jer 23:5 and Zech 3:8; 6:12 of the Greek OT. In these texts, the same expression depicts the Messiah as a branch that rises or sprouts from the royal stock of David. Since Zechariah mentions David (1:69) and the Messiah's light (1:79) in this context, both connotations are possible.
See note on Mt 2:23
. 
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2:1 Caesar Augustus:
The Roman emperor from 27
B.C.
to
A.D.
14. He was famous for establishing peace in the empire, the noted
Pax Romana
("Roman Peace"), and was hailed as a "god" and "savior" by his subjects. Luke indicates that Caesar's
decree
was caught up into God's plan, since it brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy about the Messiah's birthplace (Mic 5:2; Mt 2:3-6).
be enrolled:
i.e., registered by a census. In Judea, custom required families to be enlisted in their ancestral hometowns (2:3-4). 
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2:4 Bethlehem:
A small Judean village about 90 miles south of
Nazareth.
It was known principally as the hometown of King David and the site of his royal anointing (1 Sam 16:1-13).
See note on Mt 2:1
. 
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2:7 first-born:
A legal term linked with a son's social standing and rights of inheritance (Deut 21:15-17). It does not imply that Mary had other children after Jesus, only that she had none before him (CCC 500). As the only begotten One, Jesus is also the first-born Son of the Father (Jn 1:18; Col 1:15).
See note on Mt 12:46
.
swaddling cloths:
Newborns were wrapped with strips of cloth to prevent movement in their arms and legs. • Luke's description recalls King Solomon's birth (Wis 7:4-6).
a manger:
A feeding trough for horses, cattle, etc. •
Allegorically
(St. Cyril of Alexandria,
Catena of the Greek Fathers):
the setting of Christ's birth points us to the Eucharist. Since through sin man becomes like the beasts, Christ lies in the trough where animals feed, offering them, not hay, but his own body as life-giving bread. 
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2:8 shepherds:
Religious Jews often frowned upon this occupation. • As with these men, God favored numerous shepherds in the OT, including Abel (Gen 4:2-4), Jacob (Gen 31:3-13), Joseph (Gen 37:2-9), Moses (Ex 3:1-6), David (1 Sam 16:11-13), and Amos (Amos 1:1). 
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2:9 glory of the Lord:
The bright and fiery cloud of God's presence (Ex 40:35; Num 9:15-17; CCC 697). 
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